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Diabetes

Fast Facts about Diabetes

  • Approximately 235,000 Arkansas adults have diabetes.
  • Prevalence rose from 5.8% in 1993 to 7.8% in 2001, a gain of 34% over the period.
  • One in five diabetes deaths (21%) occurred prematurely among persons below the age of 65 years.
  • Individuals who had Type 2 diabetes and who improved their glycemic (blood sugar) control:
    • Were more productive on the job (99% versus 87%)
    • Were able to remain employed longer (97% versus 85%)
    • Lowered their absenteeism rate by 1% compared to an 8% increase among employees with poor glycemic control


Opportunities for Employers

  • Develop a supportive work environment so that employees with diabetes feel comfortable adopting and performing the behaviors that promote good diabetes control.
  • Provide encouragement and opportunities for all employees to adopt healthier lifestyles that reduce risk for chronic diseases.
  • Demand the highest quality medical care for people who are dealing with diabetes.
  • Support a walk/run for diabetes in your community.
  • Display posters about diabetes on company bulletin boards.
  • Have diabetes and other health organizations speak at a brown-bag lunch for employees.
  • Distribute diabetes information with employee paychecks (paycheck stuffers).
  • Host a Diabetes Day to educate employees about diabetes.


Model Programs

The Arkansas Diabetes Control Program is a pilot project developed through a partnership with Eli Lilly and Company, Control Diabetes Services (a subsidiary of Lilly), and other key stakeholders, including the DHS Division of Medical Services, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Health information Design, Arkansas Diabetes Association, Arkansas Minority Health Commission and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The three-phase project includes an outcomes study of Arkansas’s Medicaid diabetic population as well as face-to-face diabetes self-management training and education for people with diabetes. Diabetes education centers are open to Arkansas residents who want to learn more about managing their diabetes. Trained diabetes educators show patients how to make healthy changes in their life. They learn about medications, the importance of exercise, healthy eating tips, how to deal with stress, questions that should be asked during a doctor visit and how to make other healthy changes in their lifestyle. For more information contact Julie Munsell, Arkansas Department of Human Services, (501) 682-8946.

Worksite Diabetes Education Program, First Chicago NBD Corporation/Bank One. After three months of attending a worksite diabetes education program, employees with diabetes had:

  • Lowered their mean fasting blood sugar from 198 mg/dL to 180 mg/dL
  • Reduced their mean hemoglobin A1c from 9.0 percent to 8.3 percent. The hemoglobin A1c test indicates average blood sugar control over a 90-day period and is essential for monitoring blood glucose control
  • Although the values in this study were still higher than the ideal blood sugar range, any improvement in glycemic control has been shown to reduce the risk for diabetes-related complications. www.diabetesatwork.org

LifeSteps, General Motors (GM) Corporation, implemented a comprehensive wellness program available to all employees, retirees and dependents.

  • The LifeSteps program focuses on reducing the health risks of high-risk employees and helping low-risk employees maintain that status. The low-risk status group - persons having two or fewer health risks - increased from 64 percent to 67 percent in one year. This represents a significant net gain of 407 low-risk participants. www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/Releases/2001/Oct01/r100801b.html

Diabetes Support Group, Polaroid Corporation, run by dedicated volunteers, the support group’s purpose is to educate employees about diabetes and its complications, address fears and concerns associated with diabetes and encourage a healthy, productive lifestyle. The volunteers conduct quarterly educational meetings and provide a videotape library of lectures for interested employees. They also disseminate a Polaroid developed handbook on diabetes for managers and supervisors, a newsletter and periodic mailings to members. www.diabetesatwork.org